Railway-switch



(No Model.)

R. B. SHORT.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

Paltented Nov. 8, 1887.

NY PETERS Photn-Lilhogmpher, Washmgmn, D. c,

UNTTEE STATES PATENT QFFICEQ ROBERT SHORT, OF UNlO N MILLS, INDIANA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,715, dated November 8, 1887.

Application filed April 16, 1887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. SHORT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Union Mills, in the county of La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in railway-switches; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is an improvement on the railway-switch for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 352,579 were granted to me November 16, 1886; and the object of my present improvementis to provide means whereby the switch will be automatically set in the proper position to clear the main track in advance of a train following one which has previously left the side track and gone onto the main track.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a railway-switch embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the line a" as of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 isa detailed perspective view of parts of the switch.

A A designate the rails of the main track, which are rigidly aliixed to the ties B in any suitable manner; and G O, the rigid rails of the side track, that are disposed in diagonal lines with relation to the main track, as is usual.

D D designate the shifting switch rails, which are connected together by tie-bars d and shifted simultaneously, and these rails are adapted to align or coincide with the rails A A of the main track or with the rails O O of the side track, to adapt a train to pass from the main to the side track. The diagonal switch-rail D of the side track is arranged between the main-track rails and on substantially the same plane or level, with its ends terminating a short distance to one side of the rails A A, and the rail 0 is arranged outside of the rail A, with one end thereof terminating a short distance from the same. This sidetrack rail 0 is gradually elevated above the plane of the main track rails by means of Serial No. 235,081. (No model.)

chairs 0, which are of graduallyincreasing thickness, and are affixed to the ties by the usual means E F designate the shifting side-track rails, which are shown in detail in Figs. 4.- and 5. The shifting rail E is arranged between the main-track rails, and it is adapted to form a continuation of the sidetrack rail 0, and this rail is pivoted at its end contiguous to the adjoining end of the rail D, as at c, to a chair, (1. The opposite or free end of the said shifting rail is recessed or cut away on the lower portion of one of its sides, as at e, and this cutaway portion extends for a suitable length and gradually decreases in Width from the outer end toward the rear end, or at the point where it terminates. The cutaway portion is formed or made on the lower side of the rail only, so as to leave the head or ball thereof solid, and the outer free end of the said shifting rail rests on or is supported by chairs 0, of graduallyinereasing thickness, to adapt the upper side of the free end of the shifting rail to be elevat-ed above the plane of the corresponding side of the main-track rails. The shifting rail F is arranged on the outside of the main-track rails A A, and is supported on chairs f, which elevate it above the plane of the main-track rails and on the plane of the shifting rail E, so that when the shifting rails E F align over the main-track rail A a train can pass over the said rails E F and be elevated thereby above the maintrack rails A, so that the flanges of its wheels will not come in contact with the rail A. The shifting rail F is cut away on the lower portion of one of its sides, as atf, similarly to the cut-out portion 0 of the rail E, and when these rails E F align with each other the cut-out portions or beveled sides of bear against opposite sides of the rail A, while their heads or balls extend or project over the upper surface of the rail A, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

G designates a guard rail affixed to the chairs alongside of the side-track rail 0 and on the same height or elevation.

I J designate similar guard-rails, which are shorter, however, than the rail G, and these rails are arranged on opposite sides of the main-track rail A, and one in rear of the other, so that the free ends of the shifting rails E F are adapted to come in contact with the ends of the rails I J, respectively, when the main line is open. The shifting rails are connected for simultaneous operation by means which I will now proceed to describe.

K designates a rock-shaft,which is journaled in suitable bearings, 70, affixed to the ends of the ties by the usual spikes. One end of this rock-shaft has a crank, Z, to which is connected a link, Z, that is pivoted to the tie-bar con necting the rails D D, and the other end of the said rock-shaft has a cross bar or head, m, to the ends of which are ,pivotally connected. links M N. The inner end of the link M is secured to a depending plate, m, on the free end of the shifting rail E, and the corresponding end of the link N passes through an opening in the depending plate 12 of the free end of the rail F, the said inner end of the link N havinga stop, a, between which and the plate a is interposed a coiled spring, a, which serves as a cushion to the rail F in adjusting the latter against the rail A.

The operation of the foregoing is as follows: To side-track a train from the main track the rock-shaft is oscillated by a hand-lever or other device to simultaneously shift the rails D D to align with the rails O C, and the shifting rails E F to project over and meet or abut together at their free ends over the track-rail A, thereby causing the rails D and O to align, and the rails D, O, F, and E, thus providing safe means for a train to pass from the main to the side track. To permit a train to pass along the main track the rock-shaft is reversed to shift the'rails D D in line with the main-track rails A A, and the rails E F in line with their guard-rails I J, as will be readily seen. i v

1 represents an cperating-rail','which is arranged on the inner side of the main-track rail A at a point opposite the guard-rail I. One end of the rail 1 is curved from the contiguous track-rail and is pivoted in a chair, 2. The opposite end of the rail 1 is free to move toward or from therail A 3 represents abell-crank lever,which is pivoted on a strap or stirrup, 4, that connects two of the cross-ties. To one arm of the bell-crank lever is pivoted a hook-arm, 5, the inner end of which is adapted to engage the base of the operatingrail 1 at the free end thereof when the hook-arm is raised. On the lower edge of the hook-arm is an inclined earn, 5. The said free end of the operating-rail is provided on one side with a depending arm, 6. A rod, 7, extends through an opening in the said arm and is attached to the shifting'rail F. A coiled extensile spring, 8, is placed on the said rod and bears between a flange plate or washer, 9, thereon and the opposing side of the depending arm 6. A clamping-nut, 10, is screwed onto the outer end of the rod 7 and bears against the outer side of the arm 6.

llrepresents a curved arm, which is attached to the rod 7 and extends laterally therefrom and upward to the under side of the hookarm', and is provided at its free upper end with a recess or slot to receivethe lower edge of the said hook-arm. (See Fig. 6.)

The rock-shaftK is made in two sections. One section is provided at one end with a rigid annular flange; 12, one side. of which is provided with recesses 13.

14 represents a sliding collar,which is feathered or splined on themeeting end of the other section of the rock-shaft, and is provided on.

one side with projecting lugs 15, adapted to enter the recess 13 when the collar is moved toward the flange, and thereby lock the two sections of the rockshaft firmly together.

On the outer side of the rock-shaft,and connecting two of the crossties, i's'a strap,1'6', having a spur, 17, that enters an annular groove, 18, with which the periphery of the collar is provided. The said collar is further provided with a transverse groove, 19, that extends across the annular groove 18 and communicates therewith.

On the inner side of,the rock-shaft, and 0p posite the strap 16, is'astrap, 20, to the center of which is fulcrumed a lever, 21. The inner end of the said lever is connected to the inner arm of the bell-crank'lever 3 by means of a rod, 22, and the outer end of the said lever is bifurcated and engages the annular groove of the sliding collar.

VVhen the rock-shaft is turned to cause the switch-rails D and D and the switch-rails F and E to align with the side track, the spring on the rod 7 moves the free end of the operating-rail against the innerside of the track-rail A, and the rod 7 moves its curved arm 11 outward, therebyjcausing the said arm to engage the cam 5 and raise the free end of the hookarm and cause the same to engage the base of the free end of the operating-rail. The collar 14 also turns with the rock-shaft, so as to bring its transverse groove 19 into alignment with the stud or spur 17. In the event that the switch is carelessly left in this position the flange of one of the advance wheels of a train on the main track running in the direction indicatedby the arrow in Fig. 1 will strike against the outer side of the operating-rail 1 and move the free end of the latter inwardly from the track-rail A, thereby communicating motion to the bell-crank lever and causing the latter to. draw upon the rod 22, and thus operate the lever 21 to cause the same to slide the collar 14. from the flange 12 and disconnect it therefrom. By this time the advance wheel of the train on the rail A strikes against the inner side of the switch-rail F and forces its free end laterally from the rail A, thereby partly rotating the section of the shaft K to which the cross-head m is attached,and thereby also moves the switch-rail E from the rail .A, and thus automatically clears the track.

It will be observed that the end of the shifting rail D isbearing snugly against the maintrack rail A. The flangeiof the lead-wheel of the advancing locomotive strikes the outer side of the end of the shifting rail D with such F to bridge one of the main-track rails, and

' pivoted at their outer ends, the rock-shaft K,

made in two sections, one of which is connected to the switchrails D and D to operate the same, the other section of the said rock-shaft being connected to the free ends of the rails E and F, the sliding clutch to disconnect the sections of the rockshaft, and the operatingrail 1, having its free end bearing against the inner side of one of the track-rails when" the switch is open, and connected to the clutch to operate the latter, substantially as described.

2. In a railway-switch, the combination of the switch-rails E and F, adapted to bridge one of the maintrack rails and movable simultaneously in opposite directions, the operating-rail 1 on the inner side of the opposite track-rail, and having the arm 6, the hook 5, to lock the free end of the rail 1, the rod 7, attached to rail F and passed through the arm 6,

the arm 11, projecting from said rod and en gaging the hook 5, and the spring on the rod 7, bearing against arm 6, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

3. In a railway-switch, the combination of the switch-rail F, the operating-rail 1,the hook to lock the free end of the operating-rail to the inner side of one of the track-rails, and the spring-actuated rod connecting the rail F to the operating-rail, and having the arm to engage the hook with the operating-rail, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own' I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT B. SHORT.

\Vitnesses:

Rom. F. ALLISON, R. N. BENNETT. 

